There are many factors that make a great hotel. Location is important, but travelers require good accommodation wherever they go, however, so the mark of a truly good hotel is feeling in the lap of luxury wherever you are. Amenities such as hotel tv systems need to be the best possible, the catering needs to be of the highest quality, with courteous efficient service and delicious varied menus, while rooms need to be clean, tidy and attractive. Here’s five British hotels which fulfill these criteria – and more:
Gleneagles, Perthshire, Scotland. Recently bestowed the title of the best rural hotel in the UK by Travel magazine, this five-star hotel near Auchterarder boasts Scotland’s only two-Michelin star restaurant, presided over by master chef Andrew Fairlie. It is also next door to the world famous golf course at Gleneagles, which is set to host the Ryder Cup in 2014. Whether you are a golf aficionado or not, staying a night at this sumptuous hotel is a break in itself, even if you don’t venture beyond its front door.
Holm House, Vale of Glamorgan, South Wales. One of the most elegant hotels in the UK, and possibly the most enticing hotel in Wales, Holm House, near Penarth, is famous for its Art Deco fixtures and fittings, giving guests a true feel of the glamour and sophistication of its heyday in the 1920s and 1930s. Don’t feel you’re arriving at a fading beauty, though – Holm House was renovated only this year, with the rooms now combining the best of the old and the new. The rooms feature the very latest in designer soft furnishings and accoutrements, such as Frette linens and Jo Malone toiletries.
St Pancras Renaissance. The best city hotel in the UK, according to Travel. It only opened in 2011, but incorporates the majestic stylings of the Midland Grand Hotel, which opened in 1873. the building itself oozes Victorian luxury, but the amenities and comfort levels are decidedly 21st century. Considering it is in the heart of London, the hotel is incredibly peaceful and feels like a retreat from the bustle of the capital.
Feversham Arms, Helmsley, North Yorkshire. This former coaching inn dates back to 1855 and is a wonderful place to stay when exploring the Yorkshire coast and countryside. Another fantastic fusion of old and new, the décor is bright and cheerful, yet does not feel out of place alongside the beautiful country house interiors, which themselves take on influences of neo-Classical design. Sample the delicious foods in its conservatory restaurant before relaxing with fine ale in the snug bar.
The Glasshouse, Edinburgh, Scotland. Travel‘s runner-up in the best UK city hotel category, which won plaudits from the magazine for the “retro 70s vibe, behind the gothic facade of this bijou boutique”.
Photo 1: IngeHG, Photo 2: property, Photo 3: kxldn, Photo 4: edinburgharchitecture
